NBA Rookie Stats: Victor Wembanyama, Ausar Thompson Lead the Way in Week One

Through just a few games, Victor Wembanyama and Ausar Thompson have jumped out to early statistical leads.

The NBA’s regular season is in full swing now, with 2023 rookies getting more and more comfortable as the season progresses. Some of the league’s newest crop have impressed early, while others are still looking to find their groove.

Here are the rookie leaders in counting stats through just a few games:

Points: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

Former No. 1 overall pick and Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama narrowly edged OKC center Chet Holmgren out by just one point through the first week, totaling 47 points in three games.

Despite that, Wembanyama is shooting 13% worse from the field, largely due to his streaky 3-point shooting numbers and the variety of tough shots taken.

Still, Wembanyama will continue to be the focal point for San Antonio on offense moving forward, as he should be. And should remain in competition for both total points and points per game for the rest of the season.

Rebounds: Ausar Thompson, Pistons

After very normal rebounding numbers in his time with the Overtime Elite, Ausar Thompson seems to have made it a point to crash the glass at the next level, showing prowess in Summer League, preseason and now the regular season.

He’s got 32 rebounds in just three games, 10 more than the next rookies which are Wembanyama and Holmgren with 22 and 21, respectively. Even better, Thompson has 10 offensive rebounds, meaning he’s creating more looks for Detroit outside of traditional offense.

Assists: Ausar Thompson, Pistons

Oh, hello again. Thompson also leads all rookies in total assists with 14 in his three contests. He does rank third overall in turnovers, but has still managed a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which is just fine for a connective rookie piece.

The next few are Jazz’ guard Keyonte George with 10, and Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson with nine.

Stocks (steals + blocks): Victor Wembanyama

Defensively, Wembanyama has led the way in counting stats, but not quite in the way you’d expect. While the 7-foot-4 center hybrid is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, he’s actually nabbed more steals on the year: a six to five advantage.

His total of both steals and blocks currently sits at 11, followed by Chet Holmgren with nine (7 blocks in one game sure helped) and Thompson with eight.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.